Harrogate Citizen’s Advice ‘bracing themselves’ for unemployment rise

Harrogate’s Citizens Advice Bureau says they are “bracing themselves” for a sharp rise in unemployment in the town when the furlough scheme winds down.

Ed Pickering, who runs the Harrogate branch of the charity, told the Stray Ferret that whilst the scheme has protected employees from losing their jobs, he expects the economic impact of coronavirus to eventually hit workers in the district.

Over 15,000 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough have had their jobs protected through the furlough scheme.  New claims for out-of-work benefits such as Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s allowance stabilised over the past few months.

Local MP Andrew Jones previously said concerns over a surge in unemployment at the end of the scheme were “alarmist”.

Mr Pickering called the last few months “the calm before the storm” but said the charity is already starting seeing to see people who are furloughed in Harrogate and concerned about losing their job.

He said:

“A lot of people are now coming to us with employment problems. The furlough scheme has protected them but now they may be discovering that they won’t have a job.

“We’re starting to see it already and we’re bracing ourselves for the impact. There are people who’ve never dealt with the benefits system and we’re pretty well geared up for that, but it’s a little bit like ‘calm before the storm’.”

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In 2019 the government announced that the Harrogate Job Centre would be the first place in the country to pilot the Universal Credit managed migration programme, which transfers people claiming other benefits such as income support and job seeker’s allowance onto Universal Credit — but the process was beset with delays.

The Harrogate pilot was announced with great fanfare, including a visit from then-Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. Ms Rudd said 10,000 benefit claimants would eventually move over to Universal Credit at Harrogate, but figures released to the Stray Ferret by Harrogate Borough Council revealed that only 64 people had by the end of last year.

The pilot was suspended in March this year, Mr Pickering says news on the scheme has gone “very, very quiet”, with the charity in the dark on whether it will even continue.

But despite a challenging 2020 with charity staff now working from home and speaking to clients over the phone, Mr Pickering praised the dedication of its volunteers:

“We’ve been incredibly busy but our staff of volunteers have been amazing.”

Harrogate Railway Football Club to offer free coaching to youngsters

Harrogate Railway will offer one year of free football training to under 5s and under 6s, to try and spur on the next generation of footballers in Harrogate.

Richard Foster, youth development officer at Harrogate Railway, told the Stray Ferret that there’s been “no better time” to be involved in youth football in the town, thanks to the recent promotions of Harrogate Town and Leeds United.

At one stage in the 2000s, Harrogate Railway were synonymous with football in Harrogate, especially after their FA Cup second round tie against Bristol City, which was watched by 3,500 supporters and shown live on the BBC. However, the club, which is based in Starbeck, has struggled in recent years and in 2019 were relegated to the eighth tier of English of football.

Richard Foster, youth development officer at Harrogate Railway.

Richard said Railway is putting their hopes into youth football to try and inspire local youngsters and potentially provide new players for their first team.

He said with many children forced to stay indoors during lockdown for months, it’s meant they’ve been more used to playing FIFA 20 on an X-Box than kicking a ball around with friends, but he said some age groups at Railway have now started to return to regular football.

He said:

“We have seen some regression both socially and psychologically from players, this accounts for 50% of the player’s abilities so we have had to work hard to build these key areas back up.

“These issues are due to the lockdown, excessive playing of videos games, and a lack of a structured educational setting. This has hampered some age groups return, with some players and parents still not wanting to return, but on the whole, we are in a healthy position.”

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Grassroots football in England has declined sharply in recent years, with the FA reporting thousands of clubs folding over the past decade.

Richard said the club wants to offer a clear pathway from grassroots through to the first-team to give their young players something to aspire to. The club will also offer financial support to adults looking to get their UEFA coaching licenses.

Details of the free coaching programme will be announced over the next week weeks.

Richard added:

“This past six or seven months have been hard for the entire community and as a club we are here to support and serve them. The club has been here 85 years and is still going strong.”

 

Harrogate Borough Council plans £10m homes boost

Harrogate Borough Council is looking to loan its housing company Bracewell Homes £10m to invest in shared ownership homes.

A report is due to go before HBC’s cabinet next week to rubber-stamp the move, which would see the authority make more investments like its recent unprecedented £4.5m spend on 52 homes on Whinney Lane.

With shared ownership, people buy between a quarter and three-quarters of a property from the council but then have the option to buy a bigger share in the property at a later date. The scheme is aimed at people who don’t earn enough to buy a home outright.

The council sees shared ownership as a way for people earning a modest salary to get on Harrogate’s notoriously unforgiving housing ladder.

HBC’s draft housing strategy 2019-24 said the town was one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times the median annual income of people who work in the town.

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HBC asks housing developers to include 40% “affordable” housing in every development, which can include shared ownership homes.

When the council formed Bracewell Homes in 2019, a key part of its business plan was to purchase affordable shared ownership homes from developers, as it is doing on Whinney Lane.

With several major developments planned for the district over the coming years, HBC now says it wants to accelerate these types of investments.

Bracewell Homes has also earmarked other sites in the district to develop, including Frogmore in Knaresborough, on vacant and derelict land behind some council homes.

A council spokesperson said:

“The report going to cabinet next week is to seek approval for Bracewell to borrow £10m to acquire properties. If approved, this will include 16 shared ownership at Whinney Lane.

“Bracewell Homes has sold three properties and offers accepted on a further six.”

 

Harrogate Town’s ground renamed ‘EnviroVent Stadium’

Harrogate Town’s stadium on Wetherby Road has been renamed the EnviroVent Stadium ahead of the new season kicking off next week.

EnviroVent is a Harrogate-based manufacturer of ventilation equipment to homes and social housing, employing over 230 people at its Hornbeam Business Park headquarters.

The firm has a long-standing relationship with the club and has sponsored a stand for the past seven seasons.

2020 marks 100 years since the opening of the stadium, which was previously known as the CNG Stadium.

EnviroVent’s managing director Andy Makin said:

“We are delighted to extend our sponsorship of the club and obtain the naming rights. We are extremely proud of our local club, they have come very far over the past few years and have achieved so much recently.

“The club is an important part of the local community and it’s an honour to be able to play a part in its journey at this monumental time.”

A new main stand was recently constructed at the ground with close to 1,000 seats, boosting capacity to 5,000.

Garry Plant, managing director at Harrogate Town, added:

“We would like to thank EnviroVent for their continued support and look forward to working to making them proud!”

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The first few home games of the season will be played at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium as Harrogate’s artificial 3G pitch is replaced with grass due to English Football League regulations.

The club aims to be back at its ground by early October.

The club kick-off their first-ever campaign as an EFL club with a trip to Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Cup on Saturday.

Harrogate house sales fall by 50%, but ‘manic’ market now rebounding

House sales in Harrogate virtually halved in the first six months of the year but estate agents say a “manic” July and August means 2020 will end strongly.

The Stray Ferret analysed Land Registry data, which shows when and where houses with a Harrogate postcode were sold.

From 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020, 442 homes were purchased, compared with 872 in the same period in 2019. This represents a decline of 49%.

Estate agents were forced to close from 23 March until 13 May and the figures show how lockdown hit the previously buoyant sector hard.

However, Alex Atkinson, sales manager at Linley & Simpson estate agent in Harrogate told the Stray Ferret that despite the sluggish figures for January to June, it had experienced a “manic” July and August, with several homes sold for above the asking price.

He said this has been driven, in part, by the stamp duty holiday that was announced in July.

Mr Atkinson said:

“The market has been brilliant. I cannot remember the last time we agreed five sales above the asking price in one week.”

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UK house prices are at a historic all-time high but Mr Atkinson said it’s unlikely the housing boom will last into 2021 as the long-term economic impact of coronavirus deepens.

He said:

“The furlough scheme is still yet to end and there will probably be an economic downturn with redundancies, then the stamp duty holiday will end after Christmas. It won’t last forever but my hope is it will quieten down for a little while before picking back up next year.”

Mr Atkinson said about 30% of people currently buying a home in the Harrogate district are from out of the area. He said people from cities like Leeds were being tempted by the large gardens that houses in the district can offer, especially after being cooped up indoors during lockdown.

He added:

“Since lockdown we’ve seen a massive shift in our village and rural properties. Anything with land or outdoor space is selling like hotcakes at the moment.”

Petition opposes 1,300-home Ripon Barracks scheme

A total of 150 Ripon residents have signed a petition in the 24 hours since it started calling on Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development due to its negative impact on traffic in the city.

The proposed development will be called Clotherholme and encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. It’s being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Homes England commissioned consultancy firm AECOM to undertake a study which said main access points for the development should be on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road.

However, Ripon City Council called this study “flawed” — and said a new road should be added on Galphay Road to alleviate potential congestion.

Barbara Brodigan, who launched the petition on behalf of the Ripon Residents Action Group, called on HBC to reject the application in its current form.

She also questioned why North Yorkshire County Council has this week begun a £7.7m roadworks scheme on the A1 (M) in Knaresborough to support future new housing whereas there are no major new roadworks planned to support Ripon Barracks. She described Ripon as the “poor relation” of the Harrogate district.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England have the arrogance to say these road improvements are not needed when there are 1,400 houses being built.”

“We’re not against more houses here, it would certainly add to the value of Ripon. We need houses for young people and for families but our major bugbear is it’s not been planned the right way. We need the infrastructure to support it if it’s going to be of value to the city.”

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Homes England has submitted plans to HBC for Ripon Barracks. The proposals due to be published on HBC’s website imminently.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“The impact of traffic from major developments with planning consent within Ripon has been taken into account as part of the transport assessment.

“The proposed Galphay Road link is not needed, and a new road in this location is not supported by the HBC adopted Local Plan or the NYCC Local Transport Plan.”

Power cut affects 6,600 homes in Harrogate

A power cut in Harrogate this morning led to 6,603 homes losing electricity.

The power cut affected homes in the HG3 postcode, which includes Beckwithshaw, Killinghall and Pannal.

Northern Powergrid said power returned at 9.30am this morning.

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One-way system in Kingsley will lead to ‘horrendous’ congestion

Residents say a one-way traffic system in an area in Harrogate where 650 new homes are proposed will lead to “horrendous” congestion on nearby streets.

Persimmon Homes and North Yorkshire County Council have sent consultation documents to local residents about the proposed scheme, which would stop traffic entering Kingsley Drive or Wreaks Road from Kingsley Road, near to Harrogate High School.

Persimmon said this will stop the two roads being used as rat runs.

However, residents say the one-way system will add to congestion on Kingsley Road and nearby Knaresborough Road and also suggest it is being proposed to move traffic away from a separate application from Persimmon on Kingsley Drive for 244 homes, which is yet to be granted planning permission.

A document that has been sent to residents from Persimmon Homes

John Hansard from the Kingsley Residents Action Group told The Stray Ferret that local residents “vehemently” opposed the proposal.

He said:

“It will create huge traffic jams on Kingsley Drive. It will be awful, it will be horrendous and it’s angered people in the area.”

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A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes said:

“As part of our Section 106 planning obligation we are currently undertaking a consultation at our Kingsley Park development, on Kingsley Drive, to gauge local opinion on potential highway improvement schemes. Any decision on the one-way system will be made by North Yorkshire Highways.

“The outcome of the consultation, will determine if North Yorkshire Highways will progress the proposals further, should this be the case then a second, and more formal public consultation, will be completed.”

Last month, councillors refused 149 new homes on Kingsley Road because they said it would make already clogged roads in the area even worse.

Housing developer Richborough Estates faced a grilling from councillors who were not happy that the development was a 1km walk to the nearest bus stop. Cllr Pat Marsh called the traffic implications for the development “wrong, very wrong”.

A1 (M) near Knaresborough faces 12 months of disruption

Roadworks are due to begin today at junction 47 of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, with the £7.7m project set to continue until autumn 2021.

Three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout will be widened to increase capacity and traffic lights will be installed to improve the traffic flow. North Yorkshire County Council hopes this will reduce the number of vehicles queuing on the A1 slip road.

Traffic lights will also be added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from Junction 47 on the York side.

To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane will be added for traffic travelling east, so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

County Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for roads at NYCC said the council will work with the contractor to minimise disruption for motorists.

He said:

“At busy times, congestion is an issue at this junction, particularly for traffic coming off the southbound carriageway of the A1. The upgrades we will put in place will address this congestion, improve road safety and support development in the towns.”

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There are several major housing developments planned for Knaresborough, including 600 homes at Manse Farm, which Cllr Mackenzie said the roadworks will support.

He added:

“We are looking ahead and helping to support sustainable growth by considering future housing developments, particularly along the A59 corridor between Knaresborough and York.

“Inevitably there will be inconvenience for drivers at certain times during the project, but we will give as much notice as possible and ask people to be patient.”

The project is being funded with £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund along with contributions from NYCC, Highways England and developer Forward Investment LLP.

What’s on the agenda for our MPs in Parliament?

Harrogate district Conservative MPs, Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams, return to the House of Commons this week after a six-week summer recess.

It is likely to be a busy autumn with key decisions looming on coronavirus, finance and the environment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak face pressure from backbench Tory MPs over proposed tax rises to cover the mounting coronavirus bill for initiatives such as furlough payments and Eat Out to Help Out.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis told The Times it would be “very unwise” to increase taxes because of the “fragile” state of the economy. But Sunak is said to be considering raising corporation tax, reforming pension tax relief and making more people pay capital gains tax.

The Stray Ferret asked our three MPs if they backed tax increases but none had responded by the time of publication.

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Skipton & Ripon MP Julian Smith, Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and Selby & Ainsty MP Nigel Adams.

Votes on legislation are usually announced with just a few days notice, and there are important bills that our MPs could vote on before Christmas.

Mr Smith, Mr Jones and Adams could be asked to vote on the government’s flagship Environment Bill, which would introduce legally binding targets for water, waste and air quality.

The House of Commons will break for the party conference season in September and October — but the pandemic means it will look very different. Our MPs would have headed to the Conservative conference in Birmingham but it has now been cancelled and the event will take place online instead.

A deadline of December 31 for a Brexit trade deal with the European Union is also looming. However, if a deal is agreed MPs won’t have a say on it.